


Avatar Niella Book Three: Airbending

by SeaSpectre160



Series: Avatar Niella [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Mentions of Suicide, Next Avatar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-10
Updated: 2009-05-16
Packaged: 2018-02-13 08:36:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2144142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeaSpectre160/pseuds/SeaSpectre160
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niella, Tae Xing, and Quin reach the Southern Water Tribe. Niella is glad to be home. Tae Xing questions her entire life. Quin is having trouble with his huge loss, an unrequited love, and his burning desire for revenge.</p><p>
  <img/>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Returning Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here is Book Three of my Avatar Niella series. Now, this part does not have a lot of action, this is more of a break so we can explore serious character depth, and add another plot twist. This whole first chapter is very dark, and told entirely from Quin's point of view. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.

The cold wind cut through Quin's shirt like a sharp knife. While he was grateful that the Fire Lord had given him some clothes to replace his old Black Phoenix uniform, he still wished they were a little warmer. But Fire Nation clothing simply wasn’t made for such cold temperatures. They could see land from here; Niella had even spotted her home village. Quin wondered how the girl could stand growing up in such freezing weather. He was much more used to the warmer climate of the Fire Nation.

Thinking of home brought a sharp pang in his chest. Mom and Dad were gone, killed while trying to escape their burning house. Liya, his kind sister-in-law, had also lost her life in the horrible raid. Even worse, just a week ago, Quin's dear brother Jang Tsu was taken away from him too. At least, thanks to Niella, he'd been given a somewhat decent burial, and hadn't burned up in the house fire on Kyoshi. Little Kichona, Jang Tsu and Liya's three-year-old daughter, was all he had left. If Azula hadn't killed her by now, of course. If she was gone, he didn't know how he would be able to live with himself.

A small gust of wind hit him, and Tae Xing, who was standing _very_ closely on his left, shivered and budged a little closer to him. As had become their usual, Quin concentrated, and his body temperature rose slightly, warming them both a little bit.

"I see Aleikka!" Niella shouted suddenly, waving at someone on the pier with a big smile on her face. The ship docked a minute later, and Niella was the first down the gangplank. She was met by a small gaggle of teenagers, including some apparently love-struck guys. "Aleikka!" she greeted one of the girls, "I missed you!" The two of them hugged tightly, laughing. Niella turned to Quin and Tae Xing. "Guys, this is my best friend Aleikka. Aleikka, meet Quin and Tae Xing."

One boy came up from behind Niella. "Hey," he whispered loudly. As soon as the young Avatar heard his voice, she turned an interesting shade of red. She spun around to face him.

"H-Haeno!" she stammered, "Um... Hi! It's so good to see you!" She grasped his hands and moved closer to him, but was interrupted by her wave of friends. Quin couldn't help but be reminded of how Liya had acted when she and Jang Tsu were younger. She would stare at her feet and mix up her words, and he would trip and fall the next step he took. Those memories only depressed him even more.

Fire Lord Zuko suddenly appeared at Quin's right side. "The last time I visited," he said quietly, "It was Niella's sixteenth birthday, the day she found out she was the Avatar. I distinctly remember her crashing into me when she ran out crying."

"Why was she crying?" Tae Xing asked.

"Being the Avatar is a huge responsibility, one Niella didn't want."

"But she doesn't seem to mind now."

"Only because she's more used to it, and she's made significant progress with Earthbending and Firebending." Quin completely agreed with the Fire Lord there. He hadn't gotten the chance to see much of Niella's Earthbending, save for when she'd created Jang Tsu's grave back on Kyoshi, but he'd sometimes joined in on her Firebending training. Of course, she was still a beginner, but she'd only started about a week ago.

Quin felt a nudge on his back and realised that the Fire Lord was lightly pushing him forward. "Come on," he said, "We're getting off." Quin and Tae Xing slowly made their way down the gangplank, both pointedly ignoring all the people staring at them.

A pair of younger pre-teens pushed their way through the crowd, both wrapping their arms around Niella. "Niella!" they cried in unison. Niella grinned and hugged them back.

"Yue! Kanna! Oh, I've missed you, too!" Quin noticed that both girls looked almost identical – the same pale complexion and the same blue eyes – except for the colour of their hair. One had dark brown hair, while the other's was more of a brownish red. Niella turned them to face Quin and Tae Xing. "These are my cousins," she explained, "They're Sokka and Suki's daughters." Quin remembered Niella's aunt Suki from Kyoshi, and everyone knew that Sokka was the name of the chief of the Southern Water Tribe.

"Come on," the darker-haired girl insisted, pulling Niella towards the village, "Aunt Katara's waiting for you!" Pretty soon, Niella was the one pulling her cousin along behind her as she raced over to the second-largest ice building. The redheaded sister ran after them, motioning for Quin and Tae Xing to follow.

Inside, it was surprisingly warm. Several oil lamps were lit, giving off a gentle glow; various furs and pelts were hung up on the walls; and a woman was kneeling beside the fireplace, her back to the door. "Mom!" Niella cried, throwing her arms around the woman's neck.

The woman turned in shock. She had big blue eyes and soft dark brown hair in a long braid down her back. Upon seeing Niella's face, her eyes welled up with tears. "Oh, Niella!" She returned the embrace. "You're back!" After a minute or so, she finally noticed the two shivering guests. "Oh, hello. My name's Katara." She stood and extended her hand, and Quin hesitantly shook it. "I'm Niella's mother – well, foster mother."

Niella rolled her eyes and shrugged. "What's the difference?"

At that, Katara pulled her in tighter, a huge smile stretching from ear to ear. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that," she whispered tearfully. Niella whispered something back in her ear, too soft for Quin to make out.

Seeing Katara and Niella reunited reminded Quin of his own mother, Hiko. She’d always looked after him, and remembering her only brought back the horrible reality that his family was gone. He turned and left, not saying a word. The crowd had quickly dispersed, so there was no one around to bother him as he ambled towards the waterfront. The Fire Lord’s crew was too busy unloading supplies from the ship to notice him there.

Quin wondered how his family would react if they saw where he was right now. Dad would go on and on about how he'd never left the village his entire life, then clap him on the back for fighting alongside the Avatar. Mom would shiver at the thought of him being so far away from home, but remark that she was proud of him. Jang Tsu would smirk and say something like: "Bring me back some of that blubbered seal-jerky, would ya?" Liya would tell him to put on a coat or something before he froze to death, and Kichona would give him one of her trademark toothy grins, before saying she wanted to go, too. Little Kichona, always speaking her mind, no matter what her opinion was.

And now she was the last one left. Quin wondered where she was now. Were they feeding her? Was she alone? Did she know her father was dead? Was _she_ even alive? What if Azula and her followers had already killed her? What if they'd already done the deed before Quin and Jang Tsu had even left the base?

All these questions raced through his mind at once. He held his head and dropped to his knees in defeat. The tears soon came, pouring uncontrollably from his eyes. It was all too much. The more he thought about it, the less likely it seemed that Kichona could be alive. He looked at the water in front of him. It was steel grey in colour up close, and undoubtedly freezing cold. He wondered how long it would take if he slipped in and never came back out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now how was that for a serious chapter? Yes, Quin is more than a little obsessed, but he pretty much lost his whole family, for crying out loud! Everything he experiences is going to lead back to his loss in his mind.


	2. Secrets of a Cold Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap: Niella, Tae Xing, Quin, Zuko, Mai, Lu Ten, and Ta Min arrived at the Southern Water Tribe. Katara and Niella reconcile, and Quin reflects on the loss of his family, contemplating suicide (Dun dun duuuuunnnnnnnnnn).
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar. I own Niella, Tae Xing, Quin, Lu Ten, Ta Min, Yue, Kanna, and Fu Kun.

Tae Xing shivered slightly. The cold wasn't nearly as bad now that she was wearing the nice, warm parka Katara had graciously given her, but she was still chilly. As she walked along the streets, she carefully took in her surroundings. Most of the buildings were made of hard-packed snow. She could only imagine how much hard work hard gone into making them. After all, with such a material, she didn’t think it would be easy to get a structure that wouldn't just fall down with a sneeze. The Southern Tribe people were very skilled. There was no Earthbender in the world who could create something of equal beauty out of stone. Maybe it was the way the snow glittered in the sunlight.

All her life, she'd believed that she had everything a girl could want. Her father was the ruler of the whole Earth Kingdom, so Tae Xing received the best when it came to material possessions. She found it impossible to believe that those of lesser wealth could possibly happy with their lives. But then when she found herself on board Chief Hahn's ship, she was surprised to see how content these Water Tribe people were, despite their mediocre living conditions. It seemed that their happiness stemmed from the people around them. And on Kyoshi, it quickly became clear that even though the people there didn't have a lot of money, they were completely fine with they lived.

This concept was strange to Tae Xing at first, but then she realised that _she_ might be the one who'd been missing out. Her father spoiled her with everything under the sun, but did he truly love her? The relationship between them was nothing like what other fathers appeared to share with their daughters. Tae Xing was lucky if she even caught a glimpse of her own father once a week.

Lost in her thoughts, Tae Xing suddenly realised that she'd wandered all the way down to the waterfront. It was oddly quiet; only the sounds of ships' crew calling to each other could be heard. There was only one other person around who seemed out of place: Quin. He was down on his knees, head in his hands, shoulders shaking violently. Tae Xing hesitated, then walked over. She wasn't very good at comforting people when they were upset – she used to find it amusing to make it worse – but she couldn't just leave Quin like that. He was just a little too close to the water’s edge for her taste. Cautiously, she put one hand on one shoulder, and he flinched once before calming down a little. She tried the other one, and the shaking lessened.

They stayed like that for a couple minutes, until Tae Xing finally got the courage to speak. "Listen, I don't know exactly how to deal with this sort of thing, but if you want to talk, I'm here to listen." No answer. She turned away, but stopped when Quin grabbed her hand. She glanced back and saw him looking up at her with damp eyes. Tae Xing noticed for the first time that there were gold flecks in those dark brown pools.

"Okay," Quin whispered, so softly that Tae Xing almost missed it. The princess helped him to his feet, and the two them started walking along the coastline. Quin talked while Tae Xing just listened. It felt strange, listening to someone else talking and never once feeling the urge to fall asleep. She hung onto every one of Quin's words, growing more and more sympathetic. This really put things in perspective for her – she never realised it until now, but she was lucky to at least have someone left. Fu Kun, her brother, was the closest thing she had to a friend, and their relationship wasn’t nearly as tight as the one Quin described between himself and his brother. "I guess I just don't know what to do without them. They were all I had, and Azula took it all away from me." His fists clenched. "I won't stop until she's dead and Kichona is safe. She's all I have left."

Tae Xing was a little frightened by his bitter hatred. Never had she ever seen anybody hold someone in such contempt. Was this what happened to everyone who'd lost a loved in the war? She'd heard several stories of people who'd killed themselves after the death of a loved one. Would Quin try that? Had he already considered trying it? She couldn't bear the thought of losing him.

Then another thought occurred to her. Would her father feel the same way if she were killed? She didn't really know anything about him at all. "You know," she mumbled, "it's times like this I wonder how my father would react if anything happened to me. I mean, sure, he _is_ my father and all that, but we've never spent any quality time alone together, just the two of us. Sometimes I even wonder if he really loves me as much as he should."

"Don't say that. I'm sure he does."

"He never shows it, unless you count all the expensive clothes and toys and such. I mostly got those because I whined and screamed when things didn't go my way until they did."

"What about your mother?" Tae Xing stopped. No one had asked her about her mother in a very, _very_ long time.

"I never knew her. When I was eight, my nanny told me that she'd died giving birth to my little brother Fu Kun when I was three. I don't even know her name." Her mother probably would've loved her. It made Tae Xing's heart ache to think of her. "Maybe things would've been different for me if she'd lived." Now the tears were coming. They trickled down her cheek and fell to the icy ground. She felt something touch her shoulder, and realised it was Quin. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I was supposed to be just listening, not making you even more miserable."

To her surprise, he surprise, he pulled her in for a soft hug. Despite the cold atmosphere, his body was really warm. Must be due to him being a Firebender. "It's okay," he murmured, "I don't mind."

Years of growing up as royalty had taught her to shriek and pull away if a peasant tried to touch her. But Tae Xing couldn't bring herself to do it. She liked being this close to him for some inexplicable reason, and not just for the warmth. Wait a minute, what was she thinking? She was the Earth Kingdom Princess. He was a Fire Nation commoner. This shouldn't happen. It was excruciatingly hard, but she wrenched herself away. "M-maybe we should get inside. Katara has a few extra parkas, and you should probably have one in this cold." She turned and started walking back towards the village. She made sure not to look at Quin, not wanting to see the hurt in his eyes.

* * *

Sokka was relieved when he saw his village up ahead. It'd been a while, staying in the Earth Kingdom. Kuei had been upset with him at first for giving Tae Xing over to Hahn, but once Sokka had explained that it was Niella's decision, he'd eventually relented, trusting that his daughter would be safe with the Avatar. Then for a few weeks, they'd all been forced to sit around and wait for a message that would give him some clue as to how his niece was doing. When the messenger hawk finally arrived, Sokka was relieved to hear she'd finally made it to Kyoshi safely, albeit a week late.

However the new he'd received a mere day later had set him back on edge. Azula had captured Kyoshi. Zuko and Hahn had both gotten away with Zuko's family, Suki, Ty Lee, Niella, and Tae Xing. They couldn't send any more information, due to the risk of interception, so Sokka had no idea what'd happened to them since. So he'd immediately packed up and set sail. Hopefully he would get some news once he reached home.

Back in the Earth Kingdom, people had blamed the government for the attack. They all pointed out that the Northern Tribe Chief, the Earth Princess, the Avatar, and the entire Fire Nation Royal Family all on one tiny island had been too much for Azula to resist. Some people had friends and family living on Kyoshi, but no news of their fate.

Now, as the ship docked, Sokka could see Zuko's vessel tied up nearby. Hopefully that meant Niella and Suki were safe. A small group of people came out of the houses and converged on the dock. Cries of happiness could be heard as people were reunited with loved ones. All of them overwhelmed Sokka as her searched the crowd for his own family.

"Daddy!"

"Dad!"

Yue and Kanna came out of nowhere and launched themselves onto him. Sokka wrapped his arms around them, overjoyed to see his girls again. Katara pushed her way through the crowd and joined the hug too, nearly choking her brother.

Then he saw Niella, fighting her way over. She had a huge grin on her face and tears in her eyes. In a second, she'd reached them, sobbing with joy. Considering her attitude last time he'd seen her, Sokka guessed she wasn't angry with him anymore.

Katara led the group to her house, where a teenaged boy and girl were waiting. The young man was completely unfamiliar to Sokka, but the girl looked a lot like Princess Tae Xing. The main difference between them was their clothes; instead of a fancy dress, this girl wore regular working-class Earth Kingdom attire. She carried a Water Tribe parka over her arm; somebody had probably lent it to her.

"Uncle Sokka, this is Quin," Niella introduced him to the other guest, "He's a friend we made on Kyoshi."

Quin gave Sokka a small, sad smile. "It's an honour to meet you, Chief Sokka," he greeted him.

"And I know you've already met Tae Xing." She motioned to the girl. So that _was_ the princess! Something else was different about her, though. When he'd seen her at the meeting, right before Toph and Niella had burst in with the alarming news, she'd been full of attitude, as if she were better than anyone else, but that was all gone. She also looked like she'd been crying recently.

"It's good to see you again, Princess," Sokka greeted her formally, "Your father asked me to bring you back home if we ever crossed paths. He's been very worried about you." Tae Xing glanced down at the ground, seemingly doubtful. Quin tried to put a comforting arm around her shoulder, but that only seemed to upset her even more. The princess shrugged him off, and he pulled back, clearly hurt.

Ten minutes later, during which Sokka learned of Quin's family tragedy, and the disappointing news that Suki was still missing, he noticed that Quin had left. He excused himself and went looking for the boy. He didn't have to look very far; Quin was just outside the door, leaning against the wall, and looking dejected. "Hey," he mumbled, "What do you want?"

"Well, I'd like to know what's going on with you."

"It's nothing."

"Are you sure? Come on, we can talk about it in my hut." He helped Quin up, and half-dragged the boy to his house. Upon entering, they both nearly tripped over a few bowls scattered on the floor. Well, Quin _nearly_ tripped; Sokka fell right over. "Shoulda seen that coming," he stated, more to himself than to Quin, "Suki and I haven't been home in ages, and Yue and Kanna hate cleaning up."

"Suki? I met her on Kyoshi. She's your wife?"

"Mm-hm. First time we met, I was travelling with the old Avatar, Aang. He wanted to stop and ride the Elephant Koi in Kyoshi Bay, and the warriors thought we were Fire Nation spies, so they ambushed us." He chuckled slightly. "When I found out I'd been beaten up by a bunch of girls, I was furious. So I went to their dojo once everything was cleared up, and demanded a rematch. Suki kicked a little humility into me, so I actually asked her to train me. And now we're married with two kids."

Quin managed to crack a smile, a real one. "You know, there was this girl back home who could beat any guy who challenged her. Her parents weren't too happy with her." His smile faded. "I know for a fact that she fought back the hardest when the Black Phoenix Society attacked. But she was killed, anyway. Just like everyone else in our village."

Sokka felt a surge of sympathy for the boy. He remembered the raids he'd suffered through during the war, especially the one that'd killed his mother, and of course the last one where they'd met Zuko. To see this happening all over again was hard, really hard. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"That's kind of tough when that's all I can think about."

"Well then, why don't we find something else to focus on?" Sokka asked. Suddenly he got a stroke of genius. "Like… what's going on between you and Tae Xing?"

Quin looked _very_ caught off-guard. "T-Tae Xing? What about her?"

"I've seen the way you two act. Do you like her?"

Quin blushed. "Kind of." He was speaking at a volume level that could barely be considered audible. "But I don't think she's that into me. I try getting close to her, but she keeps pushing away."

"That, I'm afraid I can't help you with. I don't know whether she likes you or not, but I do know that her father's engaged her to a young noble from Omashu."

"What?"

"Yeah, arranged marriage is still pretty common. My first girlfriend was engaged to Hahn."

"The Northern Water Tribe chief?"

"Yeah. That's the only reason he even _is_ chief. Her father was Chief Arnook, and he didn't have any other children, no other known relatives. Since his daughter was engaged to Hahn when she died, Hahn was the only option as heir."

"She... died?"

"Only a couple weeks after I met her. It was during the Hundred Year War, in the Siege of the North. Her sacrifice was really the only reason we won – if you can call that a victory."

"I'm sorry. I guess everyone who's tried to cheer me up today has wound up miserable themselves instead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, but the next chapter won't be coming until the Friday AFTER next. My school play is that week, and I'll be occupied Wednesday to Saturday, eight AM to ten PM. 
> 
> Now, a few notes on this chapter. 
> 
> I do not plan on making the Earth King into a person who doesn't care about his daughter. The doubt that he does is an important part in Tae Xing's character development. 
> 
> Sokka tripping over junk is partly for a little comedy - God knows this fic needs a little more - and to remind us that this IS Sokka here. Twenty years older or not, chief or not, he's still Sokka. 
> 
> The talk Quin and Sokka have, I just decided to write that because I think Quin needs a man-to-man conversation. 
> 
> Notice how Quin's train of thought always returns to the same place - his family. He may be a little obsessed, but this IS a huge blow. He will start to get over it eventually. God, Book Four is going to have to be super-long.


	3. Another Twist, and Brats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar or any of its characters.

"Toph!" The blind master turned at the sound of her name being called. Jin was running towards her as fast as she could. Toph could feel her heart beating erratically. "Toph, I have news about Suki and Ty Lee!"

Toph's unseeing eyes widened. She grabbed Jin by the shoulders. "You do? Are they all right?"

"Yes. They're with Hahn, and they just made it into a harbour near Chin Village." Jin's heart was going pretty fast, but it was probably just from the running. And besides, Toph trusted her enough not to think she would lie about something like this.

"Chin Village? That's not far from Kyoshi. I'll let the King know right away. But how did you find out?"

"The official messenger stopped by the Jade Dragon, but some important family emergency came up. When I told him I knew you, he asked me to pass on the news."

"Well, thanks. You have no idea how important this is."

"You're welcome. Anything to help. I should get back to work now. Bye!" And with that, she turned and ran back up the street.

* * *

Sokka, Katara, Zuko, Mai, Niella, and Quin all sat in silence in Sokka's hut. They'd been debating on whether or not they should pack up and sail back to Ba Sing Se. So far, they'd come up with no alternative. Eventually, Niella stood up with a huff. "I'm going to check on the others. They're with Appa, last time I checked." She grabbed up her parka and headed outside. The cool wind blowing in her face helped wake her up, and she walked over to the building that housed Appa.

When she pulled the flap open, Niella was glad to see the big old bison again. He snorted as she came in, and licked her enthusiastically once she got close enough. Lu Ten and Ta Min were clambering around on his back, while Yue and Kanna petted him and fed him apples. Tae Xing stayed a few steps behind the twins, looking for Appa in awe.

"Hey, guys," Niella greeted them. She took a fruit from Kanna and tossed it into Appa's open mouth, then rubbed his nose affectionately, getting another 'kiss' in return. And another, and another, and another. "I missed you too, Appa." Her parka was becoming soaked with his drool. "Okay, okay! Appa, stop!" She had to dart out of tongue's reach, back into a corner, and Waterbend all the slime off herself.

"This guy's huge!" Lu Ten cried, having reached Appa's head. He stood up. "I'm king of the world!"

"Careful!" Yue cautioned him.

Lu Ten acted like he hadn't even heard her. "I'm the king of the castle, and you're the dirty rascals!" he sang.

His sister crept up behind him and shoved him back. "Nu-uh!" she declared, "Now _I'm_ the _queen_ of the castle, and _you're_ a dirty rascal!"

Just as Tae Xing happened to tentatively move towards Appa, Lu Ten drew his fist back. Before anyone could stop him, he unleashed a small, relatively harmless burst of flame in his sister's direction. Ta Min turned and blocked it, causing fire to go everywhere.

As soon as Appa smelled his burning fur, he panicked. Ta Min lost her balance and fell, but Yue managed to catch her. Tae Xing screamed and stumbled back while Niella and Kanna tried to calm Appa down.

Once the fire was out and the bison relaxed, Niella heaved a sigh of relief. She looked around and saw that Tae Xing had fallen, but someone else was already helping her up. Quin held on to the princess for a bit longer than necessary. At first, Tae Xing seemed to enjoy the close contact, but then a shadow crossed her face and she slowly pulled away from him. Niella could see the sadness on both her friends' faces, and wondered what exactly was going on between them.

Kanna put her hands on her hips and glared at the Fire Nation royal children. "I told you," she stated, "Appa is afraid of fire, and you aren’t allowed to play with your Firebending around him. What were you two thinking?"

"Lu Ten started it!" Ta Min insisted, pointing an accusing finger at her brother. Kanna rolled her eyes, while Lu Ten pouted.

"It's not my fault!" he argued, "She's the one who pushed me!"

"Enough, you two!" Kanna scolded them, "For goodness' sakes, stop acting like a couple of spoiled brats!"

"You can't call us that! Our dad-"

"Would agree with me if he saw you right now. Just because he's the Fire Lord, doesn't mean you can get everything your way." Both Lu Ten and Ta Min crossed their arms and pouted even more.

"What's going on in here?" Katara's voice came from the open door. Niella turned to see her mother, Sokka, Zuko, and Mai rushing in. Ta Min immediately broke down and bawled. Her mother hurried over and kneeled down to her eye level.

"Mommy, that big thing scared us!" She buried her face into Mai's shoulder. Tae Xing rolled her eyes, the twins watched with identical disapproving frowns, and Niella let out a long, annoyed sigh. Kanna was right: that girl was a total brat, and her brother, whose eyes were also brimming with fake tears, was no better.

"Are you _sure_ that's all that happened?" Mai asked seriously, "Appa's very gentle. You two weren't Firebending around him, were you?"

Ta Min sniffed. "Maybe… But Lu Ten started it!"

"I don't care who started it. You both have to learn to take responsibility for your actions. Even though your father's the Fire Lord, that doesn't mean everything's going to go your way."

"But Mommy…" both children whined.

"That's enough. Come on, we're going back to the ship." She took the two of them firmly by the hand and marched them out.

* * *

Jin made a sharp turn as she ducked into the alley. She couldn't believe what she'd just done. Toph was a dear friend of hers, one that she hated lying to, but she'd had no choice. She almost wished her heart had reacted enough for Toph to tell, even after that run.

A rustling noise drew her attention to the shadowy figure standing nearby. "Well done," he congratulated her, "The Earth King will never know it's a trap, until it's too late."

"You're a monster," Jin snapped.

"Oh, believe me, my good lady, I've been called much, much worse."

"Look, I did what you asked. Now where is my baby?"

"I assure you, he's doing just fine. He'll make an excellent soldier in my army someday, once he's all grown up."

"My little Xuan Ya will _never_ work for you. I lived up to my part of our deal, and now it's time for you to do the same."

The next thing Jin knew, she was neck-deep in the ground. One rock stuck up and fitted over her mouth, stifling her cries for help. "My, my, my. Aren't we both a little presumptuous? I assumed you'd heard enough about me _not_ to assume I'd honour our little bargain right away. It seems we were both incorrect in our assumptions." Jin struggled, but she couldn't even move her fingers. "You see, I still have a few little tasks for you to perform before you can see your son again." He bent down to stare her right in the face, and Jin found herself glaring back into the cold green eyes Long Feng.


	4. The Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY, airbending will be mentioned here. I know, the title is 'Airbending', and the word hasn't even been mentioned in the story. Also, I noticed that I focus way too much on Quin and Tae Xing, instead of Niella, the TITLE character, so these next two chapters will have a little insight on her. Sorry this is late, by the way. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. Wish I did, but I don't.

Niella felt like she was floating, her arms and legs seemed weightless. It took her a moment to realise she _was_ flying through the air, over the sea and high above the clouds. She panicked, almost letting go of the wooden poles she clenched in each fist. Looking up, Niella realised she was hanging onto some kind of device with blue wing-like flaps that kept her airborne.

She remembered learning about tools called gliders that the Air Nomads used to fly about, but what was she doing on one of theme It wasn't like she'd ever learned how to work one.

Suddenly, Niella saw something up ahead. It almost looked like a palace in the clouds. As she drew nearer, she discovered that it was sitting at the top of three tall mountain peaks of sorts. Nobody was around; the place was abandoned. When she was only about ten feet away from the stone surface of the courtyard, it suddenly occurred to her that she had no idea how to land this contraption. She cringed and squeezed her eyes shut so that at least she wouldn't have to see the ground rushing up to meet her. Right before she crashed, Niella felt something come between her body and the ground, cushioning her fall. It felt as if the very air around her was holding her up. But not for long, as the invisible force dropped her the last half-foot onto the stone courtyard.

Groaning, Niella stood up. A boy around her age stood nearby, her staff now in his hand. He was dressed in baggy yellow robes, and his head was shaven bald with a blue arrow tattoo on it. "Um… hi?" Niella asked shakily.

The mysterious young man smiled. "I'm glad we've finally met, Niella," he stated, "I've been waiting for this for a long time now."

"You… you know my name?"

Of course I do. What kind of Airbending master doesn't know his pupil's name?"

"Whoa, hang on. Airbending master? You'll have to explain to me how that's even possible. All the Air Nomads are gone!"

"In your world, maybe. But in the Spirit World, there are actually quite a few of us."

"The _Spirit World_?" Niella looked around wildly. "How… What…"

"Technically, you can say this is all a dream. Your body is still asleep at home. But as the Avatar, your spirit can cross over into the Spirit World. Although, that's not where we are right now. There's no bending in the Spirit World. Welcome to the Southern Air Temple."

"Southern… Air… Temple?" Niella replied, dazed, "This must be a dream."

"I just said that, didn't I?" the guy commented, his grey eyes sparkling with childlike enthusiasm. "You'll be able to come here every night for training."

"Why are you so interested in helping me? I don't even know you."

His grin grew even bigger. "You mean, you haven't figured it out yet?"

Niella shook her head. This guy was insanely familiar to her, but she was positive they'd never met. "Haven't figured _what_ out?"

He laughed. "I'm _you_!"

"What?"

"My name is Aang. I was the Avatar before you, so you could say we're one in the same."

Niella stared at him, unblinking, her mouth comically hanging wide open. A fly could've zoomed down her throat, and she wouldn't even notice.

 _"Niella…"_ Whose voice was that, calling her? _"Niella? Honey, wake up."_

* * *

Niella's eyes fluttered open. Katara's face came into focus. They were in Niella's room, and it was dark. "M…Mom?" she mumbled.

"Wake up, Niella. We have to go." Katara's baby blue eyes were filled with anxiety. "Come on, get up, hurry!" She pulled Niella right out of bed.

"What's going on?" Tae Xing grumbled from her bed in the corner.

"We have to go back to Ba Sing Se immediately. Your father wants you to come home right away."

Niella struggled to comb her hair while Katara ran around, looking for clothes for the girls. "But…" Tae Xing protested, "We only just got here yesterday. Why are we leaving again so soon?"

"No time for questions. Just hurry."

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Sokka?" Zuko asked his old friend.

Sokka was silent for a second. "No. But we don't have a choice. If Kuei wants his daughter back home, we have to bring her right back, even if it means sailing right into a trap. We can't just keep her here. Just think about how that would look."

Zuko sighed. Sokka was right. Keeping Tae Xing in a foreign country after her father demanded her back could have disastrous consequences. "I know. But keep your guard up. The Black Phoenix could try something."

"They probably will. Hopefully, having Niella aboard will up our chances of getting there without losing half our men."

"Well, good luck. I have to return to the Fire Nation Capital. Things are really starting to heat up over there."

"…That had _better_ not be a joke, Zuko."

"You know I wouldn't make a joke about something like this, especially not one as bad as yours. Some of the people are starting to agree with Azula. Riots, vandalism, just like when I first took the throne. Who knows how long before it escalates and they go after my family?" He felt a pang of dark worry as he thought of Mai, Lu Ten, and Ta Min. If anything were to happen to them…

"Sokka! Zuko!" Both men turned to see Katara hurrying towards the ship, Niella, Tae Xing, and Quin in tow. "Are we almost ready to go?" Sokka nodded.

Zuko turned back to his friend. "Again, good luck. If I hear anything about Suki and Ty Lee, I'll send you a hawk."

"Thanks," Sokka replied, "Get home safely."

Zuko disembarked and boarded his own ship just as Sokka's set sail. Mai was waiting for him at the bow. Their children were still asleep below deck. "Ready?" he asked her.

Mai nodded silently and took both his hands. "I just want to go home," she stated, "But what about all the rebellions? They might come after you or me, or the kids."

Zuko soothed her with a kiss. "They won't hurt our family, I promise. I’ve arranged for our most trusted servants to move to our Ember Island house. They’ll take care of the children there, and you’re welcome to stay with them."

"You _know_ I’m not leaving you to face this on your own. But you’re right, it’ll be safer for the children there. Isn't Quin coming with us?" she asked, looking around.

"I asked him, but he insisted on going to Ba Sing Se with Tae Xing."

"He shouldn't be hanging around her so much. Kuei wouldn't want his daughter to be with a commoner, especially one from another country."

"I know. I tried to warn him, but he won't change his mind."

A small cough interrupted them. Zuko and Mai looked over the railing to see two people, a teenaged boy and girl. They were standing on the wharf beside the ship, only wearing parkas over their nightclothes. "Um…" the boy began, "Is Niella here?"

Zuko glanced towards Sokka's ship, but it had already vanished into the darkness. "No," he replied, "You just missed her ship."

The boy kicked at the icy ground, swearing.

The girl sighed. "Too bad, Haeno," she told him, "I guess we got out of bed early for nothing." Her relaxed tone did nothing to cheer him up. "Maybe you can ask her when she gets back."

"And who know when _that_ will be?" Haeno grumbled, "Last time, she was gone for months. I can't wait much longer, Aleikka."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one chapter left, unfortunately. We'll get into what Haeno's plan were, and we get a flashback insight of something that happened between the first two chapters of Book One.


	5. Misery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Okay, I've decided to change my upload days from Fridays to Saturdays. This is the final chapter of this part of the story. Book Four will probably be out this summer.
> 
> I just found out that a minor character in Power Rangers Mystic Force is named Niella. She is the Red Ranger's aunt. She was only mentioned in one or two episodes, which would be why I forgot about her. Her existence did not contribute to my coming up with this Avatar's name.
> 
> So the first three scenes are set between the first two chapters of Book One. Months passed there, so I thought I'd throw something in there. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar. I do not own Katara, Sokka, Suki, or Ty Lee.

_Haeno took a deep breath before going in. The first few times he'd visited, she'd shouted that she wanted to be alone. Then on his fourth visit, it'd been during lunchtime, and Katara had given him some food to offer her. At least it had made her turn around and face him._

_It still amazed him that she was the Avatar. Niella had always seemed normal, but that was what he liked most about her. The other girls in the village were nice, sure. But they always tried to impress people just for the sake of looking good. There were exceptions, like Niella and Aleikka, but Haeno thought of the latter only as a friend. Ever since she'd realised how he felt about her best friend, she'd been trying to help him get Niella's attention. It was on her suggestion that he'd even started coming here in the first place._

_Niella was lying in her bed as usual, with her back to the doorway, and hugging her pillow. She probably knew he was there; it'd been a week since he'd started making his daily visits. Haeno sat down on the very edge of the bed, but made no attempt to touch her. Last time he'd tried, she'd thrown her pillow at him. It didn't hurt at all, but the last thing he wanted to do was upset her. They stayed like that for a long time, until Niella finally broke the silence. "What do you want?"_

_"When are you going to start talking to your mom again?"_

_"She's not my **real** mom. Kanna told me that Sokka told her that my real parents died when I was a baby. Anyway, she lied to me about who I was. They **all** did."_

_"Maybe it was for your own good."_

_Niella rolled over to face him. Her eyes had a glint of anger in them. "Whose side are you on, Haeno?"_

_"I'm just trying to look at things from both sides, here. I understand why you're mad, but-"_

_"You don't understand! How could you **possibly** understand what I'm going through?" She turned so that he was talking to her back once more. "Just go away," she mumbled._

_"Niella…"_

_"Go!" Her body shook as she started sobbing. Haeno quietly stood up and left the room so she could cry alone._

* * *

_Niella clenched the pillow harder as he left. Why did he bother coming in here? He didn't understand anything! Her entire life was a lie, everything. She wasn't sure what to believe anymore. And besides, why did he care? She wasn't good enough for him, not one bit._

_Frustrated, she flung her pillow across the room. It hit the icy wall and fell to the floor without a sound._

_She felt like a war was going on inside of her. Part of her wanted him to stay with her and never leave, but another part dreaded his daily visits. It didn't make any sense to her, none at all._

_Just like everything else in her life._

* * *

_The next day, he came back. Haeno didn't know if he was accomplishing anything, but he still had to try. Niella wouldn't let anyone in_ _aside from her cousins, Aleikka, or him, and so far, none of them had succeeded in bringing her out of her depression. Each one of them had different techniques. Aleikka chatted light-heartedly about her day; Yue tried some of her father's jokes, which weren't all that helpful; and Kanna would bring her something that would normally cheer Niella up. Haeno had a different approach. He figured the only way to help Niella was to try and get to the root of the problem, so he would just sit there and talk to her, once she started talking to him._

_Again, the two of them sat in silence. This time, Haeno was the first to speak. "You still mad at me?" he asked._

_"What do you think?" she snapped back._

_"Look, I'm sorry I said that I understood what you're going through. I really don't. But maybe… maybe you could help me with that." Silence in response. "Just tell me what's going through your mind."_

_Niella rolled over, her eyes narrowed. "Promise me one thing."_

_"Sure."_

_"Don't try and tell me they're right or anything like that. Just listen." Haeno nodded, and she began. "I spend most of my life thinking I have a family and a normal life. Then, on what_ _was supposed to be the greatest day of my life, all that turns out to be a total lie. Not to mention the whole Avatar business… I'm just not ready for it! I mean, how am **I** supposed to master all the elements?" She curled her right hand into a fist and pounded into her pillow. Haeno hesitated, then put one arm around her, and then the other. Niella's entire body shook with every sob, and Haeno felt the front of his shirt getting damp. He tightened his grip, pulling her in closer. "It's just too much. Why couldn't it be someone else?"_

_Haeno didn't know what to say. Even though she'd made him promise not to give his opinion, he felt he should try and comfort her somehow. A sudden impulse struck him. Slowly, he pulled Niella up so they were at eye level. Then, heart racing, he brought his face closer until his lips brushed against hers._

_The contact was only for a second, then he_ _realised what he was doing. He pulled away, seeing the stunned look in her big blue eyes. "Uh…" he stammered, "I'm **so** sorry, I-"_

_Before he could finish his apology, she dove forward and kissed him back, even harder than he'd kissed her. Sweat broke out on his forehead as his brain tried to register this new development. Niella, the girl of his dreams, was insistently locking lips with him. Eventually, they broke apart, gasping, their faces exactly the same shade of red._

* * *

Haeno stared out at the water. He knew he couldn't bring Niella back just by staring, but he couldn't help it. He needed to talk to her just for a couple minutes. Their relationship had blossomed quickly. They'd never taken it too far, of course. Once she'd returned, however, he'd decided it was time to take the next step. The small stone pendant was still clutched in his fist, the soft silk ribbon dangling and swaying in the breeze. He knew it was sudden, but he felt they were both ready. But now, after less than a day back, Niella had left without saying goodbye.

* * *

The light breeze whipped a few loose strands of hair into Niella's face. The icebergs drifting past reminded her again that she was leaving home once more. This was one of the most painful things about being the Avatar. Worst of all was leaving Haeno. Ever since he'd impulsively kissed her months ago, she'd come to love him more and more. Only Aleikka had known they were together, as a best friend should. She'd caught Niella right before the young Avatar went to bed, and said that Haeno had something important to tell her in the morning. But now she'd left before he had the chance. She wondered if it hurt him as much as it hurt her.

Tae Xing and Quin were both below deck in their separate quarters. Niella had watched Quin sneak a goodnight kiss on the princess' cheek. Tae Xing had smiled just a tiny bit, but then went right back into her depressed mode. Last night, she'd spilled everything to Niella: her upcoming arranged marriage, Quin, her father, everything. It was just too bad that their relationship wasn't improving.

And the dream she had… Niella wasn't sure if it was real or if the seal jerky she'd had for supper was just bad. Still, if she did wind up learning Airbending, it would certainly help her in the long run. She wondered if she should tell the others about it. Mom would believe her right away, but Uncle Sokka… she knew he preferred more logical theories.

Niella turned at the rustling noise from behind her. Speak of the devil, Sokka was standing there, with a smile that didn't quite reach his tired eyes. "Beautiful morning, huh?" he asked, gesturing at the sunrise.

Niella shrugged. "Didn't notice," she commented, "Guess I've just got too much on my mind."

"Want to share?" He sidled over and joined her at the starboard railing.

She sighed. It was more of a personal matter, not something she would normally share with her uncle. But she had to tell someone. Aleikka and Suki weren't there, Tae Xing had enough things to worry about (not to mention they hadn’t known each other that long), and Mom would get all overprotective over her. There wasn't really anyone else to talk to. "It's Haeno. Aleikka said he had something important to tell me this morning. But we left before I could meet up with him. I didn't get to say goodbye…"

* * *

Suki groaned as the ship heaved again. The motion tossed her to the right, causing the rusty manacles to dig even deeper into her wrists. Normally, she didn't get seasick, but the constant swaying combined with the stench of sweat, blood, vomit, urine, and death was more than enough to make her nauseous.

Ty Lee was chained up on her left, in even worse condition. She'd wound up on the receiving end of a Firebending blast, and was in a lot of pain. She was lucky no one had realised who they were yet, otherwise the rebels would've killed them already. Azula was probably dealing with something else at the moment, since she hadn't been down there – she probably felt too good to venture down into the hold of her own ship. The unstable rebellion leader would recognise them immediately and personally burn them to death.

The boy on Suki's other side, a young man in his early teens from Kyoshi, made a retching noise. Suki turned away so that she didn't have to watch as he coughed up the mouldy bread that'd been shoved into his mouth an hour ago.

All Suki knew was that they were heading to a secret base of the Black Phoenix Society. The boy next to her said that his father had been recruited because he was an Earthbender, and they were holding him hostage. Most of the other prisoners crammed in there had a similar story. Suki couldn't help but wonder just how many of Azula's followers were really just people fighting to keep their loved ones safe. She'd killed so many of them, innocent people.

The hatch opened, and one man in the Black Phoenix uniforms made his way down. He searched through the crowd, calling out a name. Eventually, he found the woman, who begged him to tell her if her brother was okay. His response was a blast of fire, singeing plenty of the people around her. The woman screamed in pain, and fell. He picked up her smouldering body and started to carry her out, head bowed. "I'm sorry," Suki heard him whisper. Less than a minute later, a splash could be heard from outside.

Suki could only wonder how long it would be before they realised that she and Ty Lee weren't useful, either.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, suspenseful. Okay, so that chapter contained a lot of misery. Just to be clear: Katara is Niella's adoptive mother, not her real one, but Niella thinks of her as her mom because that was the role she had for Niella's entire life.


End file.
